Camera Flash

[Lemmuel]

Hi,

Question, Can i take a video on a slightly dark room? Or can i use flash when taking video? We just can't take the object outside that room. Also there's not enough space to place some lighting. (Please see the picture attached, that's how dark it is inside the room). Can you suggest something i should do?

Thanks!

[Andrea Alessi]

Hi Lemmuel,

you must be very careful when using flash. It will create shadows, highlights and change the overall scene very quickly, which in turn will make everything much harder. Especially with videos (which are usually harder to work with than carefully taken photos) you need to plan your acquisition.

It's hard to understand from the uploaded photo, but in general, you may want to use a tripod with remote and a long exposure in order to make up for the absence of light.

[Quantos]

You could try bouncing the flash off of the wall behind you, that may help mitigate the shadows. Just a thought I had.

[Lemmuel]

Hi Andrea,

Okay noted. Thankyou!

[Lemmuel]

Hi Quantos.

Great idea! I'll try that one too.

Thanks

[cam3d]

Best kind of flash is a powerful ring flash - Personally I use an AR400 - 100% worth it, I barely ever take it off.

When using any sort of lighting rig, remember the inverse square law! - Light falls off VERY quickly. Try and keep the distance between the camera+light and the subject as uniform as possible.

[Quantos]

Best kind of flash is a powerful ring flash - Personally I use an AR400 - 100% worth it, I barely ever take it off.

That would depend entirely on what you're shooting, that's actually a very limiting flash for what you can do with it. The more powerful a light source is the stronger the shadows - so that's a poor solution in this case.

<edit>"Light falls off VERY quickly." That's an inverse square rule. So every time you double your distance from the subject you get 1/4 the lumen.</edit>

[cam3d]

With a ringflash your shadows are suppressed - I've done a wide range of scanning, interiors and tiny things all with the same flash - Here's the latest one:

[Quantos]

You're image isn't showing up.

<edit> Yes, I am aware that they can and do reduce shadows in some situations. My own professional experience is that a good soft box is often better. That's why it was suggested that he bounce the flash off of the wall behind him. Instant HUGE softbox. - just my opinion though. </edit>

[cam3d]

Oh strange - I'll try again - (and add a couple more examples of ring-flash photogrammetry)



I'm using the Godox AR400 Great for rooms or tiny things - Nice and powerful, but still portable.

[Quantos]

That war miniature is great. Did you do the model that was used?

I'm using the Godox AR400

That's a great flash, you'd choke if you know what it sells for in Canada though. If it's on a really REALLY good sale it can be had for just under $700.

<edit> The only ones here you can get without mortgaging your children are pretty crappy </edit>

I'm just starting my first render project from scratch, I'll have to show you the results from my bounce technique.

[cam3d]

Warhammer miniatures come out great too - I didn't paint this one, a talented friend however sunk days of his life into Gordrakk:



(I stopped the miniatures thing a while ago, was getting too expensive - wasted more money on them than I have on lights )

[Quantos]

No doubt, yeah, everybody thinks that their game miniatures should be worth hundreds or more. Like they might wind up in a museum if you're lucky.....

I would love to see some more of that trench, I have a friend that's a war historian, and he's in awe of that detail - most of the ones he sees are half baked.

I took a screen shot of the render I just finished, not sure how to post more than that here. I think it turned out not bad for my first one from scratch.

[cam3d]

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